The All Blacks’ opening burst featured brilliance all over the park but none were more compelling than some of Beauden Barrett’s touches.

Barrett wasn’t meant to make this trip, originally scheduled to stay at home with Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Sam Cane, Ryan Crotty and Liam Squire. But when Lima Sopoaga opted to stay home for the birth of his first child, Barrett received the call up and he left his imprint all over this match.

Barrett kicked one penalty dead but, prior to that, in one instant he beat two defenders and drew another with a typically classy flick ball to send Waisake Naholo over. He bumped off defenders at other times, and even threw passes between his legs.

With hot-headed Argentine lock Tomas Lavanini in bin for a shoulder charge on Sonny Bill Williams, the All Blacks looked like they were playing touch footy in the backyard.

Damian McKenzie, in his best performance of the season, had a field day on attack and made one crucial tackle under his sticks early in the second half. Unlike previous weeks, he was brilliant under the high ball, too.

Naholo, in his first test for almost three months, made breaks, good decisions when through and finished well himself. His only blight was a forward pass to Codie Taylor which cost a second half try.

David Havili, out of Nelson, made his debut in the final 10 minutes, producing one stunning break from the back and finishing the final try.

Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon is expected to play against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.

The former Wisconsin Badger injured his knee in last Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs.

In his third season, Gordon is averaging 3.3 yards per carry and has scored two touchdowns.

Other injury news we are keeping an eye on Sunday:

1. Oakland Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who is dealing with a lung bruise, is not expected to play against the Denver Broncos, per Rapoport.

2. San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde, whose hip bothered him through last week’s 25 carries, is expected to play against the Cardinals, per Rapoport.

3. Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi (knee), who was born in London, and wide receiver Kenny Stills (hand), who was born in Eden Prairie, Minn., played against the Saints at Wembley Stadium. Cornerback Byron Maxwelltweaked his hamstring during warmups and did not play.

4. New Orleans Saints rookie linebacker Alex Anzalone has been ruled out after suffering a shoulder injury in the first quarter against the Dolphins. Tight end Josh Hill being evaluated for a concussion. Right tackle Zach Strief was carted off the field after suffering an undisclosed injury.

5. Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (ankle) is inactive against the Bengals. The top overall pick in April’s draft has been rehabbing and should debut against the Jets next weekend, according to Rapoport.

6. Baltimore Ravens tight end Benjamin Watson, who injured his calf last weekend in London, will play against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

7. Arizona Cardinals wide receiver John Brown (quad) is expected to play at home against the 49ers, but won’t be 100 percent and may not play every snap, according to Rapoport.

For the Saints, receiver Willie Snead, coming off a three-game suspension, is also inactive while nursing a hamstring injury. With a bye next week, Snead’s 2017 debut will be on hold until Week 6 at the earliest.

The 1-2 Arizona Cardinals are still unrecognizable to their counterparts from 2015, but head coach Bruce Arians thinks quarterback Carson Palmer is giving the team a chance to revisit their recently dominant past.

“I don’t think our quarterback could have played any better,” Arians said of Palmer’s Monday Night Football performance against the Cowboys (29 of 48 for 325 yards and two touchdowns), via ESPN.com. “He was lights-out from the start to finish. Even getting hit that many times, he moved his feet great. He was sound around the pocket.”

He added: “This is the best I’ve seen him in about two or three years.”

The Cardinals, like the New York Giants, have been wobbling through their first three games trying desperately to keep their aging star quarterbacks upright. Palmer was hit 11 times by Dallas on Monday and sacked six times, including three from Demarcus Lawrence alone.

For both Eli Manning and Palmer, the murky pockets have obscured what they truly have left in the tank and complicated some questions about their effectiveness. Pro Football Focus so far has graded the Giants with one “above average” offensive lineman, one “below average” offensive lineman and three “poor” offensive linemen. The Cardinals, by comparison, have just two “below average” performances and three “poor” performances.

Arians is as cut-and-dry a coach we’ve seen in recent NFL history. He pulls few punches during press conferences. If he thought Palmer was washed up, wouldn’t he say so? Wouldn’t he have pushed much harder for a rookie in last year’s class?

With a relatively friendly slate of games coming up against the 49ers, Eagles, Buccaneers, Rams and 49ers again, the Cardinals could easily slip back into contention and make us forget about their disappointing 2016 season. Arians thinks Palmer is already well on his way to doing so.